lycheejelly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma
anthologee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Self harm, Mental illness, Gun violence, Confinement, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Racism, Hate crime, Rape, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Genocide, Cursing, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, and Colonisation
poppers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Torture, Violence, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Blood, Sexism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape and Self harm
ladyinverse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
definitely a book I'm going to be thinking about for a long while. I definitely recommend listening to this an an audiobook because the gentleman who reads the part for Hendrix has a beautiful voice and I was brought to tears during his singing parts.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Blood, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- How does one even begin to review a book like CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS? I knew Adjei-Brenyah's debut novel would be something to behold, and even then all my expectations were blown away.
- This is a sci-fi novel, but it's also an abolitionist text. The way something awful will happen to a character and then there's a footnote with the U.S. law that makes the action legal...whew.
- Adjei-Brenyah makes the reader stay in uncomfortable places, both of physical brutality and of mental work. The lines we like to draw between "good" and "bad" people are smashed here, with the aim to bring the whole system down.
Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicide, Grief, Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Self harm, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape